Five Rs: Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Rot

My top tip to get to zero waste is to adopt the five R system. It’s refusing junk mail; reducing household items; reusing by swapping your disposable for reusables; recycling what you cannot refuse, reduce or reuse; and basically, by knowing what it is that your community can recycle. And it’s rotting the rest, that is composting, so figuring out a system of composting that works for your household.

Bea Johnson

Blogger & Author of Zero Waste Home

Bea Johnson and her family strive to live a zero-waste lifestyle. Through her blog, ZeroWasteHome.com, Bea shares waste-reducing tips and inspires a growing community to live simply and take a stance against needless waste. She shatters preconceptions about environmental living with passion, proving that zero waste can not only be "stylish", but also lead to significant time and money savings. Grand-prize winner of "The Green Awards" in 2011, she has appeared on TV and in multiple international publications, and has become the spokesperson for the zero waste lifestyle. Bea currently lives in California and has completed her first book.

My top tip to get to zero waste is to adopt the five R system. It’s refusing junk mail; reducing household items; reusing by swapping your disposable for reusables; recycling what you cannot refuse, reduce or reuse; and basically, by knowing what it is that your community can recycle. And it’s rotting the rest, that is composting, so figuring out a system of composting that works for your household.